Chapter 18 - Discussion of the path of Daily Rites

[Note: This page represents a summary English translation of the Dvisāhasrī by Ṭembesvāmī, chapter 18.—Now in order to destroy the evil actions the collection of 5 chapters (14-18) is being depicted for evoking detachment for those whose minds are impure.—In the 18^th chapter the Holy Master has Himself described the wicked nature of a Brahmin-lady and the entire Daily Rite for a twice born.]

18/01-02: Namadhāraka spoke: He is awakened from the sleep of infatuation and hence he wants to hear His sweet narration.

18/03-12: Siddha spoke: Namadhāraka is fortunate one because after listening to His stories also, he has no satisfaction (04).

A Brahmin of Gāṇagāpura observing the vow of not eating at other’s place, engages himself in his daily rites, but his wife desires to eat food in the house of others and to receive gifts (05-06). One day a rich man invites them for meals, but the Brahmin denies. So she complains about him to the Holy Master (07-08). The Holy Master instructs the Brahmin to fulfill her desire. He obeys His order. But she observes that the food served is the left-over of dogs, informs her husband (09-10). The Holy Master rebukes that it is the joy of eating the food of others and instructs her to follow the husband’s order (11-12).

18/13-14: The Brahmin spoke: He prays Him to instruct how to remove the sin.

18/15-17: Holy Master spoke: The Brahmin should not be afraid and now she would not desire for the food of others. One may eat the meals of the ancestral rite at the place of others in the absence of a Brahmin.

18/18-19: The Brahmin spoke: Whose food and donation may be accepted? From whose the donation is prohibited?

18/20-26: Holy Master spoke: one may eat at the righteous Brahmins, Vedic scholar, a teacher, the father-in-law, one’s own disciple and grandfather. One may not eat the food at the place of one without righteous conduct, one engaged in the duties of others, an enemy, a diseased one, a low caste, impure one (due to birth or death in the family), one inflicting pain on teachers or elderly persons (21). The merit partaking the food at the place of others goes to the feeder (22). The food at the daughter’s place is allowed after the birth of a child (23). The left food of the sacrifices is appreciated (24). The sin of accepting gifts is destroyed by the recitation of the 02 formulas^[1] (25). A twice born abandoning his duties faces troubles (26).

18/27-28: The Brahmin spoke: The Holy Master should tell about the conduct.

18/29-198: Holy Master spoke: The righteous conduct is difficult to be grasped but He would expound inbrief. It is authenticated by sage Parāśara (30). The righteous conduct includes (01) Following the Vedas, law-books and the Purāṇas, (02) Meditation on Lord Viṣṇu, Donation, (04) Mercy, (05) forgiving, (06) Purity, (07) Absence of envy, (08) Effortlessness, (09) Being free from ardent desires, (10) Absence of low-spiritedness (11) Piety, (12) Goodness and the godly Endowments (31-33). The Vedas are the final authority (34). It must be practised according to the castes and the stages of life without contradicting Gṛhyasūtras (35-36). One should not transgress the daily as well as the occasional rites (37). Transgression over any rite out of folly or bad company must be expiated (38).

The righteous conduct includes bathing,, twilight rite, repetition of the formula, offerings, daily Vedic Study as well as sacrifices, donating as well as accepting and teaching (39-40). The Brahmin may practise the Vedic conduct or Tantra or the mixed one. After performing the morning actions one should perform expiatory rite, etc. in a clean place. In case of transgressing the evening rites he may fast eating medicine, cow products, etc. (41-44). After fixing the direction,^[2] one should perform the rites, though there is no specific direction fixed for offering the oblations. The detailsfor the sacred thread are given (46-50). The Darbha grass is not offered on the rice balls of the ancestral rite. Other pious and impious objects are mentioned (51-52). The formula should be recited mentioning the seer, the metre the deity and the application. The material of performance should not be brought by low caste or purchased (53- 55). The details the Darbha grass are given (56). The place of seer, ancestor, etc. in the palm is mentioned (57-58).

The clothing of a Brahmin is given (59). The morning prayer is compulsory (60). The daily routine of morning time is given (61-80). The details of the ring are given (81). The procedure of sipping water is given (82-89). The twilight rite is obligatory for Brahmins (90-91). The morning twilight rite is to be performed in the presence of the stars, before sunrise or after the sunrise (92). The steps of performing the twilight rite is described (93-122). The details of the Fire worship is given (123-132). The importance of veneration of the gods and its rewards is given (133-137). The placement in the body and other details are given (138-140). The steps of venerating the gods are mentioned (141-152).^[3]

The duties like sacrifices, the study, appropriate lively-hood, the noon twilight rite, the Vedic study with the auxiliary science, satiation of the gods, seers and the ancestors according to one’s own Gṛhya-sūtra , not to perform acts on impure days, (153-160). The noble son is praised for performing the daily, occasional and the ancestral rite (161). Sacrifices destroy the sins. The food offered to the guest is praiseworthy. (162-165). The minute details regarding the preparation and serving the meals are given 166-185). The rules and regulations of sleeping are given (186-192). The pure and the recommended days for conceiving are given with the examples of the noble son Dhruva and the wicked sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (193-195). The pious conduct is the saviour in both the worlds (196-197). A Brahmin following the path gets liberation, but in the Kali era this path being deviated He has elaborated the path of Devotion (198).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The 02 formulas are:

punarmāmaivatvindriyaṃ punsatejaḥ punarbhagaḥ| puragnirdhiṣṇyā yathāsthānaṃ kalpantāma|| mayite[o?]jaindriyaṃdraviṇaṃsukṛtamiti śrīrha vā strīṇāṃ yanmālodvāsā stasmānmalodvāsasaṃ||
   –[Āśvalāyanagṛhyasūtra] 03/06/08-09||

[2]:

The V 18/45 is an interpolated one.

[3]:

The V 18/143 is an interpolated one.